The Vector Core was established at Penn in 1993 as a part of the founding of the Institute for Human Gene Therapy (IHGT), the first such gene therapy institute in the country. Since then, the Vector Core has become an essential resource, providing access to wide array of gene transfer technologies to Cancer Center members. The availability of comprehensive and highly technical resources in gene therapy at Penn has made it possible for the Cancer Center to facilitate scientific productivity and member collaboration. It has been particularly critical to the rapid success of the Cancer Center's Gene Therapy in Cancer Program to have ready access to state-of-the-art. cost-effective technology relevant to gene therapy research. Such services have been developed through the School of Medicine and the Institute for Human Gene Therapy. One of the most critical resources in gene therapy for Cancer investigators has been the Vector Core in their research, which ranges from basic research to cancer gene therapy clinical trials. James Wilson, MD, PhD, serves as Facility Director. Dr. Wilson is a noted authority in gene therapy and serves as Director of the Institute for Human Gene Therapy at Penn. Guang-Ping Gao, PhD, who was trained in Dr. Wilson's laboratory, serves as Technical Director. The Vector Core has acquired all of the needed resources, including space, equipment and technical staff, using School of Medicine and Institute for Human Gene Therapy resources. Usage by Cancer Center members with peer-reviewed funding is expected to be 40% of total Vector Core usage and all usage by Cancer Center members is expected to be 50%.